This is one part in a series of episodes on "The Untethered Soul".

Part 9: Breaking Down Your Concept of Self

- Imagine you're locked in concrete house w/ protective shutters in an open field w/ sunshine 

     - House = mental confines

     - walls of psyche = past emotions, experiences, hopes, dreams, memories-- thoughts

- you build controllable fake world inside

     - your mind's walls breaks infinite uncontrollable universe into finite pieces you can wrap your head around

     - The fact that you are president, athlete, etc. is only memory

     - Thoughts are fake; don’t exist anymore

     - more concentration = slower object passes & stops after long enough you cling to on building fixed sense of self

     - time is infinite yet divided it into tomorrow, next week, month, to fit into mental model

     - personalities/persona, values, consistent thoughts, emotions, definitions = secure & predictable behaviors/ world

     - Expectations: try to alter others when they don’t act according to our expected behaviors ingrained by society

- When defensive/rationalize, you defend self concept/walls you built b/c your existence is at stake

     - There is no winning though

     - When foundation is shaken, you patch the cracks in the walls with more thoughts (excuses, reasoning)

     - This model is very fragile and shatters easily by things out of your control

- natural to avoid running into the walls that are the boundary, like a tiger in a cage

     - comfort zone =  walls

     - You’ll know you’ve met them when you feel resistance, discomfort, & insecurity

     - You cling to consistency to build conceptual self

      - Events that happened to the moment happened already. Let them come and go instead of clinging

     - The center you watch disturbances from can’t get disturbed b/c awareness transcends all

     - Only way out of walls is being aware that you’re aware; You do have control

- break mental model/Question self concept: observe when it shakes or collapses

     - Your mind can’t make up reality because it exists outside of you

     - you won’t live stressed out over everything

     - See why you do things by not doing them (b/c you’re comfortable w/ routine, expectations & comfort)

     - When you know why, dig down to next layer & ask why again

     - can’t actually hurt you when on the edge; shows path to freedom

- Be willing to endure pain to push through the wall, go beyond

- commit to go beyond; once & for all to always let go (don't feed it energy); never back to comfort zone

- You’ll be at peace with the expansiveness of the universe because you won’t need to cling to stability